Adjustable connecter



Jan. 13, 1931. E. G. K. ANDERSON 1,788,365

ADJUSTABLE CONNECTER Filed sept. s. 192s i Kit:

Patented Jan. 13, 1931 EUNITED STATES `Pnl'rrN'r OFI-lea r ERNST of.l K: ANDERSON,"OE EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, AssICNoR YTo APPLETON ELECTRIC y COMPANY, A CORPORATION OE ILLINOIS l l f ADJUSTABLE CONNECTER Application filed September 3, 1929. Serial No. 390,201'.`

Somel electrical *outlet boxes are provided with large sleeve-like bosses to permit` pipes or conduits of large dlan'ieter tobe connected therewith. Itfrequently happens that aV small pipe may suocessfnllygbe oonnectedto such a box or to a large sleeve or nipple of any kindand be located'inthemost advantageous position with respect to the center of the opening in the pipe orA nipple.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized Will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for `a full understanding of my .invention `and ofy its objects and advantages,

reference may rbeihad to the following de-.

tailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a lside elevationof an outlet box having azlarge pipeconnected to oneend and having a small pipe coupledy thereto' in Vacoordance with my invention, the small pipe being in section; Fig. 2 isa bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig.1, the coupling being shown insection; Fig. 3 is a section on a'v Vlarger scale, taken approximatelyV on line 3 3 of Fig.w2; Fig. lis a side view ofthe divided clamping. block; Fig. 5 is a'section i through `the block taken approximately on line 5--5 of Fig. 3;f and 6 is a section 1 taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.- y Referring tothe drawing, lrepresents a box having through a wall thereofan Openf ing 2 surrounded by and coaxial with an externally screwthreaded sleeve or lprojection 3 of considerable diameter. The interior of the sleeve is inthe form of a yfrustum of a The bodyof the block is inthe form of` a 'frustuin of a' cone that willffit into the chamber or borein the sleeve. y' `AtV the largeV end *.fofthe blockisar short'section whose periphery, as indicated: at 8,*iis:alsofrusto-conical;

i the small diameter of the frustumv being at the outer endof the block. In other words,

thetwo frusto-oonicalsections yof the block -areplaced with their bases toward each other.

Screwthreaded upon thesleeve is a coupling sleeve 9, reduced in diameter at the upf per orouterend to provide a ring-like part `l0 that overhangs the block; `the part-10 having an inner frusto-conical surface 11 that matches thef surface 8 on the block.

It willbeseen that whenthe block is placed `in the sleeve or nipple @andthe coupling sleeve is screwed down upon the same, the

two halvesof the block will be pressed to- Ward each other by the cooperating inolines.

y The block is provided with a hole extending through the same parallel with and eccentric to the central longitudinal axis of the block one-half of the hole being formed in each half ofthe block. One-half'of the block is also provided with tongues 12 and 13 adapted .to enter notches 14 and 15 in the meeting edge. of the other half of the block.. The opening in the block is enlarged at any suitable point between the-ends to form an annular groove 16 leading out from said open- Slots-17 and 18 are` cut into the meeting edges ofthe two block members in regisytration with the groove 16, as best shown in Fig. 3. Intothe groove 16 and the notches k1.7Land 18 'is laid a U-shapedresilient wire apart. The result is that when the spring is assembled Vbetween the two halves of the blocks, it tends to push them apart. .The pressure is greatest toward the free ends `ofthe spring. so that the spreading pressure on the block is Vnear the periphery on one side.

whereas there is no pressure at thediametrically-opposite side; the 'result ibeing that the f snringtends to swing each half of the block about its Ypoint of contact with the other half on .the side farthest removed from'the hole vin the bloclL Therefore' whenthe parts of the `block and the spring are assembledthe two halves ofthe block will be spreadfapart l.

the block and thus permit a pipe or conduit to be freely inserted in the opening.

The opening through the block is preferably reduced in diameter at the smaller end of the block, to provide a flange or lip 2O against which the end of a pipe, such as indicated at 2l, may bear when the pipe is inserted in the opening in the block, thereby preventing the pipe from being pushed entirely through the block. Fur hermore, the recesses in the block that produce the hole or bore 22 in the latter may be provided with ribs or beads 23 extending transversely of the long axis of the bore and adapted to bite into the surface of the pipe or conduit when the two halves of the block are closed upon the same.

In F ig. 1 the outlet box is shown as resting` against a wall W. rlhe large pipe 24 connected to one end of the block lies near the wall. By properly placing the block in the tubular projection 3, the small pipe 2l will also be brought close to the wall. It will be seen that `the two halves of the block in Fig. l touch each other only at one side of the block. Therefore even a smaller pipe than the pipe Q1 may be attached to the outlet box. Furthermore, by partially withdrawing the block from the tubular projection or sleeve 3, the two sections of the block will be spread still farther apart and, therefore, va somewhat larger pipe or conduit than the pipe 2l may be accommodated. In other words, the same block will serve to connect several different small sizes of pipe to the box. By providing an additional block, having a larger bore or hole through the same, a series of large pipes or conduits may be connected to the box.

It will of course be understood that when a pipe such as the pipe 2l is to be connected to the box, the proper conical block will be placed in position, the spring holding the sections spread apart far enough to permit the pipe to enter readily. Then, when the cap is screwed down, the two sections of the block are rocked upon and toward each other until the pipe is gripped tightly between them. It should also be noted that while my improved connecting means permits a pipe such as the pipe 2l to be placed near a wall to which the box is fastened, it also makes it possible to position the pipe at any point along a circle having its center at the center of the block and a radius equal to the distance between this center and the center of the bore or hole in the block.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim l. In combination, a tubular member hav ing an outwardly flaring conical bore, a block shaped to fit into said bore and divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections, said sections having in their meetingr faces and one side of the longitudinal axis of the block recesses combining to form an eccen tric hole extending lengthwise through the block, and a cap device cooperating with said tubular member to force the block into the same, said cap device having an opening in the end to expose said hole in the block in various angular positions of the block.

2. In combination, a tubular member having an outwardly flaring conical bore, a block shaped to fit into said bore and divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections, said sections having in their meeting faces and at one side of the longitudinal axis of the block recesses combining to form an eccentric hole extending lengthwise through the block, and a cap device cooperating with said tubular member to force the block into the same, said cap device having an opening in the end to expose said hele in the block in various angular positions of the block, said cap device and the outer end of said block having cooperatin conical faces oppositely inclined with respect to the cooperating conical faces between the block and said tubular member.

8. In combination, an externally-threaded tubuar member having a bore in the form of a frustum of a cone, a conical block adapted to fit into said bore and divided longitudi nally into a plurality ofsections; said sections having in their meeting faces recesses combining to form an eccentrically-located hole extending lengthwise through the block, and an open-ended cap adapted to be screwed on saidmember and force the block into the latter.

4. In combination, an externally-threaded tubular member having a bore in the form of a frustum of a cone, a conical block adapted to fit into said bore and divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections; said sec* tions having in their meeting faces recesses combining to form an eccentricallydocated hole extending lengthwise through the block, and an open-ended cap adapted to be screwed on said member and force the block into the latter, said cap and said block having cooperating conical faces oppositely inclined with the cooperating conical faces between the block and said tubular member.

5. In combination, an outlet box having a tubular projection provided with an outwardly Haring conical bore communicating at its inner end with the interior of the box, a. block shaped to fit into said bore and divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections, said sections having in their meeting Y faces and nearer one side of the block than the other recesses combining to form a, hole extending lengthwise through the block,-and

an open-ended cap cooperating with said tubular projection to force the block into the latter. e

6. In combination, an outlet box having a tubular projection'provided with an outwardly Haring conical bore communicating at its inner end with the interior of the box, a block shaped tov fit into said borey and divided longitudinally into a plurality `oit sections, said sections having in their meeting faces and nearer one side of the block than the other recesses combining to form a hole extending lengthwise through the block, and an open-ended cap cooperating with said tubular projection to force the block into the latter, said cap and said block having cooperating conical faces Aoppositely disposed with respect to the cooperating faces between the block and said tubular projection.

7. In combination, a tubular member hav ing an outwardly-flaring,conical,bore, a'block shaped to it into said bore and divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections, said sections having in their meeting'faces nearer one side of the block than the other recesses combining to form an eccentrically-disposed hole extending lengthwise through the block, said meeting faces being grooved across said recesses and beyond the latter towardthe far side of the block, a bent spring member lying v in said grooves and tending to spread said sections apart, and an open-ended cap cooperating with said tubular member toiorce the block into the latter.

8. In combination, a tubular `member, having an outwardly-flaring conical bore, a block shaped to fit into said'bore and divided longitudinally into two sections, said sections having. in their meeting *facesand located nearer one side of the block than the other recesses combining to form a hole extending* lengthwise through the block, said meeting faces having tongues and. grooves at opposite ends to hold said sections against relative longitudinal displacement, there being spring receiving grooves in said faces extending transversely across said recesses and beyond the latter toward thev far side of the block,

a U-shaped spring having its free ends lying in those portions of the grooves crossing the recesses and its loopportion in those portions of the grooves lying beyond therecesses, and an open-ended cap cooperating with the said tubular member to force the block into the latter.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifii cation.

ERNST Gr. K. ANDERSON. 

